Arthur's Christmas Gift
by The Dark Knight's Revenge
Summary: Arthur's never been in love before, but when one girl stays up on christmas just to see him, it might spark something between them. Virginia Rockwell might just be the one for him, and yes Virginia... There is a Santa Clause.
1. Chapter 1

Arthur snuck inside the last house of the christmas night, waving his hand to the elves that were offering to usher him inside. He could handle this one on his own.

Silent as a cat, Arthur crept into the living room, smiling as he saw the christmas tree with a small pile of gifts under it, and the stockings by the fire. He slipped an orange and chocolate bar into each one, smiling as they bulged with treats.

Next, he set down the small package due to the girl in the house. He remembered her letter very well. It was simple, Virginia Rockwell wanted just a book of fairy tales. And odd request from a girl not that much younger than himself, but better than some of the odd things he had seen on christmas lists.

An almost unintelligible click startled him from staring at the tree, and Arthur turned around to see the copper-haired Virginia Rockwell herself standing in the doorway.

"Santa?" She asked, clearly confused. Arthur flushed bright pink. He hadn't grown anything even resembling a beard yet, and seemed completely unable to put on weight. All the sliding around in his slippers wore off calories like crazy.

"Erm, uh..." Arthur said, looking for an escape route.

"It's all right, I won't tell anyone" Virginia replied, giving him a wink and a smile. "Do you want some hot cocoa?" Arthur found himself nodding, even though he knew it was against every Santa protocol in the book. Steve was going to have a hernia.

Virginia led him to the small kitchen, motioning to a wood seat at the table. Arthur sat awkwardly, wondering what on earth he was going to do. No doubt the elves in mission control were plotting to get him out, but he would just have to stay still until then.

"What's your name? Or do you go by Santa?" Virginia asked as she poured milk into a saucepan.

"Arthur, Arthur Christmas" Arthur replied, finding himself blushing again. Virginia was only wearing a long white nightgown, that sent even his Christmas-oriented mind wandering.

"No doubt you know mine" Virginia said, spooning cocoa powder in the saucepan then coming to sit across from him at the table.

"Erm, Virginia Rockwell, right? I read your letter" Arthur said, trying not to fidget too much.

"I thought you had elves to do that" Virginia replied, her brilliant green eyes fixing on his.

"Well, I do... But I like to read some of them myself" Arthur said, beginning to relax a little. Virginia nodded, then got up to stir the cocoa. She poured two mugs then came back to sit down.

Arthur sipped his cocoa, racking his mind for other things to talk about and trying not focus on how pretty Virginia really was.

"I suppose you have to go... I shouldn't keep you from the other children out there" Virginia said after a while. Arthur downed the rest of his cocoa, trying not to choke as it burned his throat.

"I'm sorry i'm no good at conversation, I mean- I just, Erm. Yeah" Arthur mumbled, standing up. Virginia laughed.

"Come on, i'll walk you out" She said sweetly, leading him to the front door and unlocking it.

"Well, erm..." Arthur said, unsure of what exactly to say. "Thanks for the cocoa Virginia"

"Drop by next year, Arthur" Virginia replied, reaching out and straightening his red and green plaid scarf.

"I will"

They stood there for another silent moment, then Virginia looked up. Arthur looked up as well, wondering what could be so interesting on the ceiling. Then he saw the small bundle of green foliage hanging above their heads.

"Sorry, mum put that up" Virginia said, her cheeks flushing a light pink. Arthur realized he was blushing as well.

Without really thinking, Arthur took Virginia's small hands in his and kissed her cheek. Then tucked a lock of red hair behind Virginia's ear and slid out the door.

Virginia shut the door, sliding down the wood into a sitting position, holding her cheek where Arthur had kissed it. He was the sweetest, if not shyest boy she had ever met.

One thing was for certain.

Neither of them could wait for next christmas.


	2. Chapter 2

As Arthur boarded the EVIE, he kept his eyes fixed on the floor, unable to make eye contact with any of the elves passing him. Why had he kissed her? What on earth possessed him to kiss Virgina Rockwell? And WHY couldn't he stop thinking about her?

Arthur was so mixed up in his thoughts that he walked face-first into Steve, who's military build outmatched his stick-like form, sending him backwards into the floor.

"Arthur! Are you all right?" Steve asked, pulling his dazed younger brother to his feet.

"Dandy" Arthur replied sourly, patting Steve on the chest and steeping around him.

"What happened in there?" Steve asked, following on his heels.

"I'll tell you later" Arthur growled, realizing that it was the first time ever he hadn't been in a good mood. He felt... almost... No, it couldn't be.. He couldn't feel lonely, could he? Maybe he was just hungry.

"Well then... Erm. We'll be home in a few minutes" Steve called after him. Arthur ignored his brother, going to his room on the EVIE.

* * *

><p>Arthur felt completely drained after giving his first ever successful mission speech for the elves, barely able to make it to his room before collapsing.<p>

He splayed out on his bed, setting his HOHO on silent mode and closing his eyes.

Kissing Virginia's soft cheek had been wonderful, he wished that he could do it again and again and again and again. And maybe after that he would gain the courage to kiss her on the lips or the forehead... Arthur smacked himself, unable to stem the flow of thoughts.

He had never really thought about girls before... Mainly because the North Pole was decidedly humanless, and there had never been time. You know the old saying "out of sight, out of mind"

But now that he had been in the presence of a girl, and a beautiful girl at that, he felt a growing attraction building inside that seemed to grow by the minute.

Red hair, soft skin, green eyes... She was the perfect one for him. Arthur pictured her dressed in a green sweater complete with red scarf, the colors matching her eyes and hair. Soon, he fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Virginia sat on her bed, watching the sun slowly rise and thinking about the boy that had been in her house only a few hours before.<p>

It would be lying to say that she didn't find Arthur attractive, and the way he kissed her cheek... it made her knees melt. She could only wonder what his soft lips and candy cane breath would feel like when they were kissing her own pink mouth.

But, Arthur lived thousands of miles away in the North Pole, with no phone or email as far as she knew. And unless she stayed up on Christmas next year, she would probably never see him again. Long distance relationships didn't work anyways.

Then, and idea came. What was it Arthur had said? That he had read her letter and that's how he knew her name?

Virginia got off her bed and went to her desk, getting out a piece of paper, pen and envelope.

_'Dear Arthur,'_ She began to write.

_'Thank you so much for visiting me. Please come again, if you're allowed. I really enjoyed your company, and I think I feel something for you...'_

Virgina scowled and scratched her message out. It was too forward... What if he was scared off?

_"Dear Arthur,_

_"Thank you for staying last night, I really enjoyed your company. Please do visit again before next Christmas- that is, if you're allowed._

_I also wanted to thank you for the kiss. It was very sweet of you to do. _

_Please write back, or even call me- i'm sure you can find my number._

_Yours, _

_Virginia"_

Virginia sighed, then slid the letter into the envelope without another thought. She addressed it, figuring there was only one Arthur Christmas at the North Pole. Digging in her desk drawer once more, she pulled out a stamp. She stuck it on as she slipped on her boots, running down the hall and out the front door.

The post box was at the end of her block, and in the weak sunlight, Virginia's breath clouded the air in front of her as she ran.

When the end of the block arrived, Virginia slipped the small envelope through the slot in the mailbox before she could change her mind.

Maybe, just maybe... Arthur would get her letter.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur let out a shaky breath as he held up Virginia's letter to the light. No, he wasn't imagining it. The letter was really there, addressed to him and from Virginia Rockwell. His heart fluttered as he wondered what could possibly be in it.

Slowly, as if holding a bomb, Arthur opened the envelope and slid the letter out onto the desk. After looking at it a moment, he unfolded it once. Then waited another moment, then another fold. Finally, he was able to read the print.

_"Dear Arthur,_

_"Thank you for staying last night, I really enjoyed your company. Please do visit again before next Christmas- that is, if you're allowed._

_I also wanted to thank you for the kiss. It was very sweet of you to do._

_Please write back, or even call me- i'm sure you can find my number._

_Yours,_

_Virginia"_

Arthur slumped down in his chair, holding the letter to his chest. His stomach felt as if someone had just poured cocoa into it at just the right temperature.

After a full minute of visualizing Virginia Rockwell, Arthur sat up. He had to call Virginia. If nothing else, he would steal Steve's HOHO and use that.

"STEVE!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, throwing open the door to his room and leaving it wide open, as usual.

He slid down the hall in his China made reindeer slippers, leaving every single door along the hallway open.

"Arthur!" An elf yelled out.

"Sorry!" He called, trying to run and look over his shoulder at the same time. "STEVE!" He yelled again, looking forwards just in time to run face-first into Steve and get thrown to the ground in a daze.

"Arthur, you really should stop doing that. That's twice this week" Steve's voice came from somewhere above him. "And for heaven's sake's... Shut the door!"

"Steve!" Arthur sprang up from the ground like a rubber band.

"Yes?" His older brother asked, baffled for the second time in a week by his brother's antics.

"I need to borrow your HOHO, it's for a very special reason, and I promise I won't accidentally drop it in my cocoa..." Arthur pleaded.

"What... happened to yours? Steve asked, raising an eyebrow. Arthur froze.

"I believe I mentioned cocoa?" He said sheepishly.

Steve looked at him concernedly for a moment, then handed his HOHO over.

"Be careful, Arthur. And shut the doors on your way back" Steve said. Arthur hugged his brother, then tucked the precious HOHO into his sweater pocket before sliding back down the hallway, shutting every door behind him.

"thgirb si lla, mlac si lla, thgin yloh, thgin tnelis" He began to sing at the top of his lungs. After all, who else could sing Silent Night backwards?

* * *

><p>Back at his desk with the door tightly secured, Arthur pushed his cocoa cup to the other side of the desk. He took the HOHO out and set it on the desk, unsure of what button to press first.<p>

Arthur decided to search for a worldwide phonebook. Surprisingly enough, Steve had invented that app. Arthur clicked on it, then typed ROCKWELL, VIRGINIA into the second search bar.

3, 125 results came up. Arthur's jaw dropped.

"Errr..." He clicked on the first one. A picture appeared of an old lady with no dentures. "EUGH!" Arthur cried, punching the back arrow.

After checking the 238th Virginia Rockwell the HOHO's battery died. Arthur pushed the phone aside dejectedly and flopped back into his chair.

A new idea sparked him. He had her address didn't he? Why didn't he just pop down to England for a visit?

"STEVE!" He yelled for the second time that day.

* * *

><p>"NO" Steve said, snatching the dead HOHO out of Arthur's hand.<p>

"What do you mean NO?" Arthur asked, following his brother around mission control.

"NO means you cannot go down to England for some joyride, Arthur" Steve said tiredly.

"But i'm SANTA!" Arthur cried.

"I'm your older brother. We are working on EVE-1, Arthur. She can't fly right now"

"But, Steve-"

"NO Arthur!"

Arthur watched as his brother strode off to attend to some paperwork. His plan B had been effectively thwarted. As he trudged back to his room, Arthur had another Epiphany.

If he had her address... He could just write her a letter! Why hadn't he thought of that first?

Arthur ran back to his room, leaving all the doors ajar on his way. He slid into his chair with a sigh, rooting around for a piece of paper and a pen.

Heart racing, Arthur began to jot down sentences, not even bothering to notice he misspelled several words in the process. When he was finished forty-five seconds later, he paused to admire his handywork, instantly frowning.

_"Dear Virginia,_

_THanK yoU FR yyyyyour leter, Im vary GreetfuL yu wrot bakk. _

_I wentz to call YoU, bat i cANt find yur NumbAA. Pleeze seD wif nexTa LeveTA_

_-Luv, Arturd."_

"That wasn't what I meant at alll..." He growled, moving the sheet aside and trying again.

_"Dear Virginia,_

_Thanks so much for your letter. I'm very grateful you wrote to me. _

_I tried to call, but I can't find your number in the 3,125 Virginia Rockwells on earth. _

_Please send with next letter. _

_Love, Arthur."_

Happy with his second draft, Arthur shot out of his chair in search of a stamp and envelope. When he found them, he dashed back to the desk, grabbing a sheet of paper without pausing to look at it.

Addressing it and stamping it with gusto, Arthur exited his room in a flurry of paper, not noticing his second draft of the letter drifting down under his desk.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Dear Virginia,_

_THanK yoU FR yyyyyour leter, Im vary GreetfuL yu wrot bakk._

_I wentz to call YoU, bat i cANt find yur NumbAA. Pleeze seD wif nexTa LeveTA_

_-Luv, Arturd."_

Virginia Rockwell set down Arthur's letter, unsure whether to laugh or be angry... The letter was obviously a mistake, at least she hoped so or Arthur's writing skills needed desperate improvement.

_"Dear Arthur..." _She began her reply.

_"Are you feeling all right? Your last letter was rather odd. Anyways, summer is coming. My family is going to America until September, we'll be staying at this address: 3337 Holly Blvd. New York, New York. Please write often... All my love, Virginia."_

Virginia's stomach fluttered at what she had written without even thinking. Would Arthur consider it too forward? Did SHE consider it too forward?

Before she could rethink the whole operation, Virginia folded the letter, put it in an envelope and licked it shut. There, now she couldn't change her mind.

Virginia searched her tidy desk for stamps, realizing she was out.

"Damn" She muttered, grabbing the letter and going for her coat and scarf. She would have to run down to the post office.

"Mum, I'm going to the corner store for stamps, we're out!" Virginia yelled, her voice muffled as she wrapped her scarf all the way around her head. It was March already, but the weather was insanely cold.

All the way to the corner store, which was three blocks away, Virginia thought about Arthur. What was he doing right now? Probably poring over children's letters for Christmas already and drinking cocoa...

In actuality, Arthur was tearing his hair out and spilling cocoa all over everything in his agitation, but she didn't know that.

Virginia pictured Arthur's nice brown eyes, all sparkly from the permanent Christmas cheer in them. The way he had looked at her on christmas... It made her heart melt like warm chocolate.

Virginia hopped the last few steps to the corner store entrance and slid in, unraveling her scarf a little in the warm building.

Five minutes later, Virginia was stepping out of the store, stamps and letter clutched in her hand. If she could stick the stamps on as she walked then she could put the envelope in the box on her way home.

Virginia began to peel the stamps off, sticking them to the envelope as she stepped out in the street without looking. A horn sounded, and she looked up from her letter just in time to see the bus racing towards her.

The envelope containing Arthur's letter fluttered slowly to the ground.

* * *

><p>Arthur paced around his room, much like he had been doing for the past two months since he had sent Virginia the messed up letter.<p>

"Dear Arthur, you're a loon. I hate you" He said, imagining the beginning of Virginia's letter.

"Dear Arthur, have you gotten your head checked?" He knocked over a stack of letters in his frustration and bent to pick them up.

"Dear Arthur, please don't speak to me again" He said, frowning as he voiced his real fear. Virginia's reply should have been there a week ago.

"Maybe she ran out of stamps?" He asked himself quietly. "No, that can't be it. She's on holiday" Arthur finished re-stacking the letters, then sighed and went to his desk, where he turned on the old battered computer.

He had tried the social websites millions of times, looking for Virginia Rockwell. Thousands came up every search he made. He had given up weeks ago on that method of communication.

Arthur pulled up Google, typing in Virginia Rockwell. He hadn't tried a straight up google search yet, though it would probably be just as hopeless.

He aimlessly scrolled down the list of random bits of info, barely looking at the article titles.

Then one caught his eye, making him sit straight up, heart pounding.

**ENGLISH BUS ACCIDENT: VIRGINIA ROCKWELL IN CRITICAL CONDITION**

Arthur clicked on the link with a trembling hand. A news article from a couple weeks back came up, complete with a picture.

Red hair, limbs askew, blood pooling around the body... Arthur could barely read the story. Virginia's pale face kept taking over his mind, cold and hurt.

He reached the end of the article, fixing his gaze on the accident photo once more.

Then promptly fell out his chair in a dead faint.


	5. Chapter 5

When Arthur woke up, the world was tilted at a very odd angle. Then he realized that he was laying under his desk. He pulled himself up, holding his head in pain as he sat back in his chair. What had just happened?

The computer had fallen asleep while he had been on the floor, so he jiggled the mouse. The computer creaked back to life.

Arthur reached out for his cup of cocoa, taking a sip of the cold chocolate. He turned back to the screen, jaw dropping.

**ENGLISH BUS ACCIDENT: VIRGINIA ROCKWELL IN CRITICAL CONDITION.**

The events of earlier came back to him, and he grimaced.

"When did this happen?" He asked sadly, brow furrowing. He scrolled up and down until he found the date. One month ago, just about the time that his letter should have arrived.

Arthur stared sadly at the screen, his insides feeling like they had been filled with ice. He scrolled down the article again, this time actually reading it.

"...She was carrying stamps and letter at the time, addressed to an Arthur- WHAT?" Arthur shouted, reading on in horror. "The letter was addressed to the North Pole, and the victim, should she survive, will be questioned regarding her mental health. The victim remains in critical care at the Evelyn Mary hospital."

Arthur sat back in his chair in shock. She had been hit by a bus while trying to mail her letter back to him.

It was all his fault.

He had to get to England, immediately.

Arthur stood up, momentarily dazzled by the light his slippers made in his slightly darkened office. He slipped them off, groping under the desk for a pair of dusty tennis shoes that he had left under there when he had gotten his slippers.

Once he finished tying his laces, Arthur began walking down the hall, opening and closing doors as he went. He stopped at his bedroom and went in quickly, grabbing a backpack from the closet and filling it with an extra set of clothes.

He caught sight of himself in the mirror, noticing his gaudy christmas tree sweater. That wouldn't do for walking around England in April. He slipped the sweater off and pulled out a dress shirt and jacket he'd never worn. It didn't really suit his personality, but he had to look right if he was going to rejoin civilization for a time.

Arthur finished packing then reached under his bed, pulling out a little wood box. He opened it. Inside was a silver chain with a small teardrop pendant on it. He had made it himself, making the pendant out of a rare shiny stone that only existed at the North Pole. It shimmered like the Aurora Borealis, in the same colors.

He secured the box in the front pocket of his backpack, zipped his black jacket, and exited the room, flicking off the lights and shutting the door behind him.

He walked two doors down to Steve's room and knocked. After a minute it opened.

"Arthur?" Steve asked incredulously. Without the ugly christmas sweater and slippers, Arthur looked completely normal. Steve stuck his head out into the hallway and looked both ways. All the doors were closed.

"Are you feeling all right?" Steve asked, big brother instincts kicking in. Arthur looked worried.

"Steve, I need to go to England." He said solemnly. "Remember that girl I told you about? Well, she's had an accident. Hell, I don't even know if she's still alive."

It was all too much for Steve. He fainted.

When he woke up, Arthur was kneeling over him. At first he thought it was just a dream, then he saw the tennis shoes and normal clothes.

"What is going on, Arthur? Y-you used a swear word!" Steve stuttered.

"I guess I'm growing up a little, Steve!" Arthur said, brow creasing. "I want to go to England to see Virginia, and I'll be damned if you'll stop me!"

Two swearwords. Steve almost fainted again, but Arthur grabbed his face and shook it.

"You will find a way to get me to England, Steve, or I will swim there." He said seriously.

"Well then. I guess I have something to show you... Steve said sheepishly. "Merry Christmas?" Arthur stood, opening the door for Steve, who hauled himself to his feet and straightened his hat.

"Come to the hangar." Steve said, leading the way. Arthur closed the door behind him.


End file.
